Questers count down to their final chance at rock stardom

By JOANNA HUNKIN


Six of the country's best high school rock bands will battle it out next Friday night to claim this year's national title at the CokeSmokefreeRockquest.

The event will also feature performances by Steriogram, Goodnight Nurse, and last year's winner, Falter.

Having already competed against more than 600 bands, the final six will vie for the top prize, which includes $10,000 worth of music equipment, a music video and a professionally recorded single for nation-wide release.

This year's finalists are Incursa from Auckland, last year's runners-up 5th Element from Christchurch, Hamilton soloist Kimbra Johnson, Rival State from New Plymouth, 2+1 from Wanganui, and Outatune from Kaitaia.

This will be the 16th annual Rockquest, which has helped acts such as Zed, the Datsuns, Bic Runga and more.

The finals will be held at the Bruce Mason Centre, 8pm next Friday. Tickets cost $19 and are available from Ticketek.

Meanwhile, budding songwriters have been given the chance to have their songs performed by top New Zealand artists in a secondary schools songwriting competition.

The inaugural Play It Strange National Secondary Schools Songwriting Competition has announced its 30 finalists from 270 entries.

The top five songs will be performed live by top New Zealand artists at the awards tomorrow at Baradene College in Auckland.

Judged by Brooke Fraser, Nesian Mystik's Feleti Strickson-Pua, the Exponents' Jordan Luck and Split Enz founding member Phil Judd, the finalists are in contention to win musical equipment, recording studio time and the chance to release a CD.

The Play It Strange Trust was set up earlier this year by former Split Enz bassist Mike Chunn to encourage New Zealand youth develop their passion for music.

Programme general manager Debbie Little said the awards are recognising future artists. "They're like junior [APRA] Silver Scroll Awards."

The 30 finalists are listed on the trust website: Play It Strange